RUSTON, La. – The New Mexico State softball fell in the 2013 edition of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament championship game with a 4-0 final score to the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday, May 11. The Aggies finish the season with a 37-20 overall record.

A tough day at the plate for the Aggies ended with just one Aggie hit off the bat of Staci Rodriguez. Freshman pitcher Makayla McAdams took the loss for the Aggies as she pitched just 0.2 innings but gave up the initial two SJSU runs.

“I am extremely proud of this team and the way they played all year,” head coach Kathy Rodolph said. “It is always disappointing to end the season like this, but I cannot be more pleased with the way this team worked and grew every day this season.”

NM State got the first couple of runners on base with Kelsey Dodd’s 30th walk of the year and a single out to left center in the first half inning. With two outs, The Aggies were left sitting with a line out to center field for the third out.

San Jose State came up in their half to take the initial 2-0 lead off a single bunt and a RBI double to the right field. The runner at second was moved around the bases off the Spartans second single of the day, both hits came with freshman Makayla McAdams in the circle for the Aggies. Junior Celisha Walker entered the game and closed the inning with a groundout right back at her.

SJSU was able to get two on in their half of the second with a walk and an Aggie error, but was sent away down the side in the third off a back-handed double play by senior Tehani Kaaihue to get the outs at second and third.

SJSU earned two base runners in the fourth off the second off the second NM State error and a single right on the left line. Both those runners were left stranded. Sent away in the bottom half of the fifth, the Spartans plated two more runs in the latter half of the sixth. Two base hits and a fielding error in the inning allowed two Spartan runs to score and the second double play of the game for the Aggies closed the inning with the outs at first and third.

NM State struggled in the late innings of the game, going down in order in five straight innings before sophomore Staci Rodriguez reached base in the top of the seventh on a hit by pitch.

Ending on a high notes for her senior season, right-handed pitcher Alex Newman was named to the 2013 WAC All-Tournament team. She pitched 17 complete innings and two complete games over the course of the tournament week and finished with just a 1.65 ERA through the Aggies four games.

NM State closes out the 2013 with a 37-20 overall record and the second appearance to the WAC Tournament Championship game in two years.